Geriatric syndromes in an urban elderly population in Cameroon: a focus on disability, sarcopenia and cognitive impairment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: geriatric syndromes are multfifactorial conditions that are associated with substantial disability, poor quality of life and mortality in the elderly. The patterns of these conditions are poorly described in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of common geriatric syndromes in Cameroon. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional study in the Geriatrics Unit of a university hospital in Cameroon. All people aged 55 who attended a health promotion and screening campaign on September 2019 were included. Geriatric syndromes including functional decline, cognitive impairment and sarcopenia were assessed. We also examined sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. RESULTS: overall, 104 participants were enrolled with median age of 65 (IQR: 62.2 - 70.8). About 67% of participants presented at least one geriatric syndrome. Disability in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living were present in 10% and 38% respectively and associated factors were male gender (OR 4.7, p=0.005), age 75 and above (OR 5.7, p= 0.027), osteoarthritis (OR 3.3, p=0.055) and polypharmacy (OR 7.7, p=0.012). Sarcopenia occurs in 26% with female gender (OR 3.1, p=0.029) and SARC-F 4 (OR 4.9, p=0.002) as associated factors. Cognitive impairment was present in 20% of participants and associated with illiteracy (p=0.008). CONCLUSION: our study shows a high prevalence of geriatric syndomes in older adults in an urban area. Geriatric principles and frailty awarness should be considered in clinical care of older adults in our setting.

Keywords

• geriatric syndromes
• disability
• sarcopenia
• cognitive impairment
• cameroon